Kiribati

Ioane Teitiota was deported from New Zealand in September after overstaying his visa.

Lawyer Michael Kidd says Teitiota, his wife and three New Zealand born children, are struggling to settle and want to look at moving to Timor-Leste.

He says Teitiota, his wife and three New Zealand born children, are living with his brother-in law in Kiribati.

Kidd says the children have been struggling to adapt to life there, and  Teitiota's son has been in particularly bad health.

Kiribati, with help from the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation, is hosting a conference to consider how to prepare for climate migrants to move in a dignified way.

The Kiribati Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Akka Rimon, says it is part of the gradual process of preparation for something that will become inevitable.

She says one thing they will want to look at will be extensions to existing labour mobility arrangements with countries like Australia and New Zealand.

Kiribati will next week host a summit that will also involve the Marshall Islands, Tuvalu, the Maldives, Tokelau and others, brought together under the aegis of the Prince Albert of Monaco Foundation.

The Kiribati Government says the 'High Level Meeting on Climate Induced Migration' is about the countries affected taking action.

The Kiribati Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Akka Rimon, says sea level rise is happening and becoming more severe, and the atoll states want to ensure climate induced migrants are catered for in a dignified way.

The country's foreign affairs secretary, Akka Rimon, says the meeting is the outcome of recent talks between President Anote Tong and Monaco's Prince Albert II.

He says Prince Albert, the leaders and representatives of Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, the Maldives, and Tokelau, as well as representatives from 17 United Nations agencies are expected to attend.

Mr Rimon says the meeting will highlight the impacts of climate change and ways affected countries plan to deal with climate induced migration with dignity.

In an exclusive interview with FBC News, President Anote Tong says he will be convening an extraordinary meeting with other Pacific island countries to discuss the issue of climate induced migration.

“Fiji has been the one country that’s been the most forthcoming and I think it’s challenging every other country. I think this is the kind of response that has been sadly lacking in the past. There has been no leadership of this and Fiji is taking leadership”.

The recent deportation of Kiribati national Ioane Teitiota from New Zealand last week has had a rippling effect.

Dr Ramos-Horta, who is now a United Nations special representative, says its sad New Zealand, a country he admires, is so heartless to deport “climate change refugee” Ioane Teitiota.

The 39-year-old was deported on Wednesday after the government refused to intervene in his long-running case.

Dr Ramos-Horta asked for a way to contact Teitiota in a post on his Facebook page during the weekend.

“I am happy to welcome this first ever climate refugee in my country; he and family are welcome.

The Commonwealth gold medal winning weightlifter says it will be scary for the Kiribati family being deported from New Zealand after losing a bid to be declared climate change refugees.

He says it is hard to live in the country which has a grim future and the children will find it scary when the ocean comes and covers the land.

He says the case has helped get the message out about the effects of climate change even though it was not successful.

The government MP says he is working hard on issues like overpopulation to help Kiribati people stay where they are.

Tabai's comments come as New Zealand deported a Kiribati man who failed to get climate change refugee status.

He says he can understand why the family wanted to stay in New Zealand because Kiribati faces many problems.

"Sure, it's hard living, it's a hard place to survive but it's still a place to belong to and we have to make it work."

Tabai says the government wants to fight it out to ensure Kiribati people don't have to leave the country.

Ioane Teitiota has been fighting against deportation since 2011 but is due to be deported tomorrow. His wife and three children will follow a week later.

Mr Teitiota's lawyer Michael Kidd told Checkpoint the family was petrified.

He said there was a community meeting last night attended by 500 and the focus of concern was on the three children.

"Who are going back to king tides that wash through the whole place and water that's polluted by both sea water and human faeces."

Ioane Teitiota is currently being held in Mt Eden Prison awaiting deportation after being picked up by Immigration officers on Tuesday morning, after his bid to claim climate change refugee status was dismissed.

Immigration New Zealand said Mr Teitiota's wife and three children, who don't have citizenship, have also been served with deportation orders and it "will be engaging with them to facilitate their departure."

It has also been granted a warrant to keep Mr Teitiota in custody until Monday when a bail hearing will be held to decide whether he should stay in jail.